Kemba Walker, UConn Focus On Ultimate Result In Houston

HOUSTON — — HOUSTON - From where Kemba Walker now stands, atop the college basketball world after a meteoric rise, he can see the finish line — to this season, most likely to his remarkable UConn career.

There have been hours of highlights — buzzer-beaters and ankle-breaking dribble-drives — and enough newspaper and magazine stories to create a fire hazard in his dormitory room. Each morning, it seems, we wake to news of Walker being named a winner or finalist for another award.

No matter what transpires at the Final Four starting Saturday night in front of 70,000-plus fans at Reliant Stadium, 2010-11 will always be the Season Of Kemba. His inspirational play and smile are synonymous with this feel-great journey. Walker is inextricably linked to one of the most prideful pages in the UConn history book, because he basically wrote it.

But through it all, as teammates and coach Jim Calhoun heaped praise and sometimes stood in awe, Walker has repeated — lived by, really — five simple words.

"I just want to win," he has said about as many times as he has dribbled a basketball. "I just want to win."

It would be fitting, wouldn't it? Calhoun has stopped short of saying UConn deserves such an honor. Whoever plays the best deserves it. But as the Huskies (30-9) take the court Saturday night in a national semifinal against Kentucky (29-8), there is a motivation that is as important as any familiarity with personnel or X's and O's.

UConn players want to finish this off. For themselves. For the State of Connecticut. For Calhoun. For the program. And for Walker, the junior captain whose leadership should not be overshadowed by his gaudy numbers during arguably the most impressive individual season in UConn history.

"We want so bad to win a national championship for him because of what he's done for us individually and collectively," freshman forward Roscoe Smith said. "We want him to go out with a bang."

Saturday night's winner of the UConn-Kentucky game advances to Monday's championship against Virginia Commonwealth or Butler. Getting there won't be easy. Rid yourself of fond memories and confidence borne from a 17-point victory over the Wildcats at the Maui Invitational in November, back when Walker was introducing a nation to his offensive brilliance.

"In Maui, it was house money," Calhoun said. "We weren't even supposed to make the [NCAA] Tournament. … We kind of just played free and easy, where [Kentucky's John Calipari] I think was trying to put together a team. [Saturday] we're not playing for the whole enchilada, but a good piece of getting to where it resides. The stakes of the game are entirely different. I really like that Maui trophy. It's kind of cool. But this is another one I think that's a lot more important and we'd rather have."

Kentucky has won 10 in a row. The Wildcats have their own spectacular guard, Brandon Knight, and a scary, versatile forward in Terrence Jones. Who will be the best sidekick guard, Jeremy Lamb or Doron Lamb? The game could hinge on the play of two big men — Alex Oriakhi for UConn and Josh Harrellson for Kentucky. Or it could hinge on free throws. Or three-pointers. Or rebounding. Or foul trouble.

But the most important player is Walker. No one is more central to the hopes of a particular team. Kentucky will likely assign lock-down defender DeAndre Liggins, who is familiar with Walker for having been burned in Hawaii and will be the latest to try to pull the carpet out from under this magical ride.

Calipari has compared Walker's play to that of Danny Manning in leading Kansas to the 1988 national title. Danny And The Miracles, that Jayhawks team was called. Kemba And The Kids might fit the Huskies.

"Danny made everybody better," said Calipari, an assistant coach under Larry Brown at Kansas in 1982-85. "If he had to score, he scored. If he had to get a big block, he would. If he had to pass, he passed. That's what Kemba does. Right now he's been scoring a lot of points. If he's not, he'll figure out what it takes for his team to stay in the game."

What it comes down to is what effect Walker will have Saturday night, another 40 minutes of non-stop movement. He is averaging 23.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists this season — 26.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in the tournament.

"He plays like he doesn't have a scholarship," assistant coach Kevin Ollie said. "He plays like he's trying to make the team."

He has made the team — he's made the Huskies believe as much as he did from the beginning.

"We all know this is his last season," Oriakhi said. "That's not a secret. And all we want is a national championship. We want to end this the right way."

UConn is 4-1 in Final Four games. Kentucky is in the Final Four for the 14th time and first since winning a seventh national title in 1998.

"We understand that it's one game and you're done," Walker said. "We don't want our season to end short."